


I knew you'd haunt all of my what if's

by gertstarlight



Category: Stargirl (TV 2020)
Genre: F/M, i almost cried writing this, this also just Rick going through his old JSA stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:54:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25810171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gertstarlight/pseuds/gertstarlight
Summary: Rick’s eyes scanned the box full of old JSA things for any more signs of Beth, they landed on two flimsy polaroids. Letting those polaroids awaken the nostalgia, the unspoken words of their relationship come rushing back.
Relationships: Beth Chapel/Rick Tyler
Comments: 5
Kudos: 15





	I knew you'd haunt all of my what if's

Quiet solitude of small towns only left room for mournful thoughts. The JSA members knew this quite well. Their unfortunate run-in with the angel of death ended their superhero glory days. Suffering a loss was never easy but losing Beth Chapel haunted the young JSA’s innocent minds. So Blue Valley felt like the last place any of them had to be, especially Rick. 

Long gone were his days as a teenage superhero, running around and saving Nebraska from impending doom. Leaving behind the spur of the moment costume changes and flipped hourglasses, he shifted his entire life to the big city, well the closest metropolitan area in Nebraska. Now it was just shoe prints on snowy sidewalks, long hours at the grease marked garage and unlikely strangers in local coffee shops. Maybe just one stranger who’s smile healed his most unlikely wounds. 

As time went on, Rick ditched Nebraska for a crowded city on the East Coast. Those vigilante days seemed so far in the distance now that his life seemed brand new. He was living the life his parents intended for him. The comfortable house on the Upper West Side of New York, sweet memories to replace those of his childhood, new friends to sip whiskey with in their lively gatherings and the warmest smiles from his 30 year long marriage. 

~.~  
Empty cardboard box in hand, Rick makes his way to his attic with the intent to clear out some space. The dusty floorboards shift under his feet as he slowly glides toward a short tower of old boxes. Rick sits down on a makeshift seat as he pulls open the box with the poorly sketched stars. Shuffling through the small trinkets, the attached memories come rushing back in waves as Rick lets a tear fall onto the hourglass in his hand. He gently sets aside the hourglass to pick up a pair of dusty green goggles. 

Clutching onto Beth’s old goggles, he mumbled softly, “why did you have to go so soon?” Looking back at the faint reflection of himself, all he could see was the angry teenager who suffered through the greatest tragedies this universe had to offer. Rick lost his parents and when he learned to let his anger go again, he lost her too. It’s not like he's miserable now but it’s all too easy to dwell on the idea of a happy life with an unrequited soulmate. 

Rick’s eyes scanned the box full of old JSA things for any more signs of Beth, they landed on two flimsy polaroids. She wrote some dumb lyrics on those polaroids, drew some hearts and balloons, left her small heartfelt messages that left a bigger imprint on Rick’s heart than he cared to admit. Letting those polaroids awaken the nostalgia, the unspoken words of their relationship come rushing back. 

All he had left of his teenage years were the hazy visions of her tear-filled laughs, her slow blinks when she smiles, the faint smell of her school lunches and the absence of voice after the final JSA mission. The last of her smiles played on a film reel in the back of his mind. Rick had hidden away those dark hours long enough to create a steady balance in his life but those stupid polaroids rewinded the film. And despite his hatred for the ending, he still watched just to see her one last time even in his mind. 

Rick would always come back to her. That was the promise he made, intended to keep it as well. knowing all the risks they took during their teenage years, he still came back to her, he still laced their fingers together before running into the mists of death. He tried his best to wrap his arms around her after a victory against another demon of the day. He always made sure she was prepared to fight the monsters that haunted their adolescence. He made sure she felt safe in her own mind after the horrendous losses they suffered. He just knew he would always linger around her and hang around in the atmosphere forever. But forever didn’t grant them the timeline they wished for. So tossing aside the haunted memories, he threw the polaroids back in the box with the stars drawn on the side and wiped away the loose tears on his face.

Footsteps trailed to the doorway of the attic, and a soft voice accompanied them, “hey, babe, are you almost done up here?”

“Uh yeah, I’m tossing out some old stuff,” he stuttered, pointing at the star-sketched box.

**Author's Note:**

> when taylor swift said "no other sadness in the world would do" i took that and ran with it  
> also if u wanna see the actual polaroids i made then u can find them on my tumblr (gertstarlight)  
> special thank u to the hournite discord for encouraging my behaviour!!


End file.
